[debacle]

It's not really any less ethical than trying to strongarm a potential new hire into a salary 10-15k lower than it would have been otherwise, especially when they're likely creating hundreds of thousands in value annually for the company.

[smeyer]

I don't think anyone was implying that they are being "more ethical" or "less ethical" than their counterpart in a negotiation. Many people care about behaving ethically, even when dealing with unethical people on the other side of the table.